Before She Drowned
by Sarah9488
Summary: Finally, they have discovered what they really mean to each other, but some things don't end "happily ever after".
1. Prologue

-1_**Summary:**__ The events that lead to Temperance's death. BB_

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**Before She Drowned**

_Prologue_

She was had taken the best time of his life, his future away from him. He had taken his Temperance.dead. She was dead. She was dead… It wasn't a nightmare: it was reality. He would definitely never see her, talk to her again... He wished she lay there next to him like she had done the weeks before. He wished it was just this damn kind of nightmare. The kind you wake up after and you know it's not true. She would just maneuver herself into his arms and say that it was only a dream.

Dreams aren't real. It has nothing to do with the facts, they are just the products of your imagination.

He desperately hoped she would tell him that and afterwards deliver an endless speech about Anthropologically speaking. He longed to hear her voice. But the bed was cold. She wasn't there and she wasn't going to come back.

Why did she have to go? Why hadn't he been able to save her? He would never forgive himself for that. He had left her alone with this damn bastard who pushed her into the water. She had have no change. He had taken care that she wouldn't be able to breath, to save herself. And afterwards he had shot himself in the head. He had killed her and been too cowardly to be tortured by him and to be punished for what he had done.

Booth just wanted to kill this guy for what he had done. He had taken the love of his life away from him. He

Still, he had this picture of her on his mind. He couldn't forget the way she had looked like when they told him she had died at the hospital. They had tried to save her life for a long time, but have failed. He didn't remember the way he had made it into her room, but he couldn't forget the sight. She had been incredibly pale, too pale. He just hoped that she'd sleep, but he wasn't even allowed this tiny bit of hope. Her eyes had been wide open, their beautiful green-blue colour had gone. They were cold and he wasn't able to forget the chill in them. They had been so shiny once, sometimes he had thought that he could look right onto her mind through them. They had been so pure against the fact what they had seen before. And now they have been cold. He remembered falling on her crying and screaming that she should come back that she couldn't leave him, but all hadn't done any goods. He had felt her becoming cold and hard. She had lost every last sense of her humanity. But still he had lay on top of her crying desperately and screaming her name as though he wanted to call her back to his side.

After a time Angela had come tears all over her face and told him to go home and rest. "Sweetie that isn't good for you" she had managed to keep her voice calm besides the tears that ran down when she had gotten sight of her best friend dead. Hodgins had come to the room and lay a arm around Angela to comfort her. "C'mon bud" Booth could still hear his voice. "that won't bring her back". Angela had taken his hand and they had taken him to his apartment.

They had told him to think of Parker in fear that he'd kill himself over the loss. And this truly was the only thing that kept him alive. He didn't want live without her. He couldn't even imagine to live without her. Working without her.

Tears ran down his cheek again. He could still smell her perfume on his sheets as though she would come back every moment. But she would never come back. He took in a deep breath to collect every part of it. He didn't want to forget, but it was already hard to remind himself of how her voice had sounded like, how she sounded when she laughed and the way every expression on her face had looked like. He would forget all this with the time flowing, but he didn't want to. He kept trying to remember, but the more he tried the harder it was to remind himself. He didn't only want to remember her when he looked at a picture of her. He wanted to carry her in his heart - every part of her.

He hadn't absorbed enough of her this last weeks everything had changed for good. When they had finally found the encouragement to admit their feelings to themselves and each other. It had been the best time of his live knowing that she'd be there at his side for the rest of their lives. He had loved her more than he had ever cared to admit, but he hadn't told her often enough. He wished he could tell her once more and longed to keep her save in his arms, but she wouldn't be there to hear, to feel again.

And all meant to be his fault. He kept telling himself that this was his punishment for the things he had done as a ranger. He accused God of his bad punishment and kept asking him why he hadn't taken him instead. Why she had to die suffering. But there he wouldn't get an answer either. The people that he wanted to hear answers of wouldn't reply.

He felt empty. All his emotions had been used and now he felt just powerless. He was about to give up, hoping he'd meet her again in heaven although she hadn't have believed in it.

He just wanted to see her image again and tell her that he loved her more than everything else, that she was the most important person to him. "Temperance" he heard himself whispering her name and felt a single tear on his cheek that she had kissed in what seemed like an eternity ago.

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_**A/N: **Shall I go on with this one? Do you like it? The next chapters will tell how Booth finally asked Brennan out. Just review and tell me what you want. I live for reviews.  
__Btw, the character death will only be a matter in the last chapter or so apart from this one._


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer (**_I forgot in the Prologue__**): Unfortunately, nothing belongs to me except my imagination for which I borrowed the characters and places.**_

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**Chapter One**

Seeley Booth entered the Jeffersonian with one of his charm smiles on his face. Against all odds, he felt rather comfortable with the squints after some time.

"So, do you have any news for me, Bones?" he asked in best mood while using his identification card to enter the lab.

Temperance Brennan was caught up in her work totally so that she hadn't noticed him entering. When she finally heard her most despised nickname, she sighed and looked up to meet his eyes.

"Good evening to you as well, Booth!" she said half teasing. "We found fractures on the victims tibia and fibula that indicate that her legs were broken on purpose…"

Their newest case was about a young woman that had been drowned in the Delaware. Angela had already been able to identify the woman as twenty-seven year old Jennifer Grant. A young doctor that had been missed for half a year after she didn't come home to her husband and her little son after a meeting with her sister Melody.

"…they are as well marks on her ulna and radius that point to an instrument with which she was pushed with." she ended her speech.

"That means we definitely have a homicide?" he frowned.

"The evidence state this. The injuries show a big amount of power someone used to hurt he victim. An accident is out of question" Brennan replied and showed Booth an encouraging smile.

It was already five in the evening and she was the only one of the team still at the lab. Apart from Booth of course, but he didn't count himself to the group of the squints. He was the one person that reminded them of the real world and trained them for living in it. Somehow their knight in a shining armor. That's what he thought he was at least.

Booth watched Brennan back in her own world again. She wore her blue lab coat that didn't really fancy the most of people, but it did make a compliment to her features as everything she wore. She wasn't one of these thin girls that looked almost like skeletons, but she still had a healthy thin figure with delicate feminine curves. She had her auburn hair, that always reminded him of lace or satin, up in a ponytail as always when she worked on a skeleton in the lab. Under her gown he cold see her pretty long legs. These legs kept drifting his mind to places where they weren't really supposed to be. But unfortunately, his fantasy often got the better of him, lately. He just hoped that she would never find out what he dreamt of her and things they did in her office at night. And he hoped she'd stay ignorant of the minutes when he just stared at her totally caught by her entire appearance. Luckily, she was often unaware of people's thoughts about her.

But his thoughts about her weren't only about sex. More than that he felt his heart beat more than twice that often as usually when she was around and sent him these little or at times bright smiles. He always had to fight himself not to touch her too often because it would be too remarkable. Besides, he was aware that she didn't felt more than this deep brotherly friendship to him.

He was almost about to go when he found some faith in him that he'd been unaware of before.

"Bones?" he called her, unsure whether to go on.

She turned her head and sent him one of those breathtaking smiles and he felt like all his self-confidence has just been transformed to pudding. "Sorry, I was deep in thoughts. Did you say something?"

"No, nothing. Its okay." He mentally kicked his ass for being that cowardly.

Confused, she looked him deep in his eyes - with her most adorable eyes - and tried to read him the way he used to read her. But she wasn't trained in it. "Oh, Ok." she said and returned to her work.

'C'mon Booth there's nothing you can lose… except her friendship, partnership.' It wouldn't be the same ever again. But still he felt such an urgent to ask her out. 'Just do it, use your life it can be over every day.' he told himself over and over again and suddenly found himself talking to her without really wanting it. Sometimes he just didn't seem to have control over his own body.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you whether you'd like to grab some food with me?!?" he heard himself asking.

"Sure. Wong Foo's as usual?" Damn, she still had to watch him with these sparkling blue-green eyes that tend to made it even harder for him to talk to her pretending that everything is just the way it is supposed to be. And still she seemed to be oblivious of his actual intentions. He could still leave it with that, but his damn mouth wouldn't remain shut.

"In fact, I had thought of" -_Shut up_- "something" -_Shut up_- "more" -_Just shut up, now!_- "romantic. I know this nice little Italian place around my corner…?!?" Why didn't he obey himself? But now, he had told her he looked at her expecting her answer, most likely to be a refusal and with some hope she'd be still ignorant.

"Oh" he heard her voice that seemed to be somehow disappointed. She definitely wasn't oblivious of the situation anymore. 'Well done, Booth. It'll never be the same from now on. And you'll get reassigned from the Jeffersonian…away from her"

He was about to apologize and go home to sit there drinking his head of and pity himself, when she said something that he'd not expected.

"Okay, why not? But I have to head home and change first." Her voice was very quiet and she almost seemed to be shy. Booth face lit up instantly. Could he trust his ears? Did she actually accept his offer? She watched him expecting therefore it seemed as though she really accepted it. Really as in reality. His heart did some extra beats this second.

"Great, I pick you up at your place at eight." he told her not able to stop smiling and then rushed out of the building. He had to make some preparation plus he had to hope that they had still a table at Giovanni's.

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**A/N: **_As I told you this will mainly be about the two of them. Now please click the blue button below and leave a comment._


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Temperance Brennan was in agony when she headed home. What had she just done? She had told his partner that she would like to go out with him. And they had already set a date. She didn't know what to do. She was not trained with men. She didn't know what they were saying behind the literally meaning of words. She knew she tend to take things to literally. He probably just wanted to go eat something different than Thai and Italian food had this romantic reputation. Jeedz - she was proud that she could use a phrase that Booth would use - she wasn't Angela. Angela was the one that knew the guys.

Temperance grabbed her phone to call her best friend.

"Montenegro" Angela's voice drifted through the receiver.

"Ange, it's me. You must help me." she said much faster than usual.

"What is it, Sweetie?" She calmed down a little. Angela would help her.

"Booth asked me out for dinner" she told her matter-of-factly.

"Sweetie, you two often grab dinner together."

Brennan sighed. "I know, I've thought so either, but he wanted to go somewhere romantic."

"Like in rendezvous?" Angela became curious and hoped she was right. Her friend haven't been dating for some months and definitely needed a man and if this man was Booth it was even better.

"I think so."

Brennan sounded defeated. "That's great, Bren. You two are made for each other"

"But I'm still not sure. Perhaps I'm just reading things in this."

"Sweetie, you never read thing into anything. You're a literally brain-person. But if you'll feel better then tell me exactly what happened."

Temperance told her every detail of the event in the previous hour and heard Angela laughing at the other side of the line.

"That's not funny. I desperately need help over here." she said little offended.

"But it is. You actually did understand the right thing even though you could've been able to understand it literally. Booth haven't really learned after all…" Angela still smiled.

"What shall I do now?" She was definitely helpless and not prepared for that kind of situation.

"Take my advice, Sweetie. Wear a drop-dead gorgeous dress tonight, eat a little and have fun. And please don't think of the consequences." with that Angela quit the connection and Temperance was on her own again. She felt like a teenager having her first date and she didn't know what to wear. All her dresses plastered her bed and she couldn't decide. She had narrowed down her choices to a black dress because those were these that were regarded as drop-dead gorgeous as Angela had called it, weren't they?

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Seeley Booth was officially nervous. He's been waiting in front of Brennan's door for about fifteen minutes, but couldn't force himself to ring her bell. First he didn't want to ring because he had been 10 minutes early and then he just couldn't get his finger to press the button. He dreaded that Bones regretted her decision to have a date with him and moreover he felt this special kind of pressure because this dinner would have an effect on their entire partnership. Work as well as friendship. Could he take losing her? Definitely not, so, why didn't he just say that it was a misunderstanding and go on as though nothing had happened?!

But on the other hand, this was his chance. He could impress her with his charm and maybe, maybe all his dreams would finally come true. Strengthened by this final thought he pressed the little button.

He couldn't hear anything. He almost feared that she took of hoping he'd forget what had happened this evening, but then finally after what felt like an endless hour the door was unlocked.

There she was. She looked just like an angel. He couldn't remember her being that breathtaking before. She looked even more stunning as she'd looked like when she had been Roxie in Vegas. It took him a few seconds until he lastly was able to talk again. "Temperance, you are so beautiful" he said still effected by her attractive appearance.

"Thanks. Angela advised me to wear this kind of dress, so…" Booth made an inner note to thank Angela as soon as saw her the next time. His date - he loved thinking of her as his date, his Bones or his Temperance - seemed to be uneasy hence Booth offered her his arm and left for the restaurant.

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Temperance had to admit that he had chosen a pretty romantic place. They sat at a little round table at a corner that reminded her a little of one of the few movies she had watched in her life. In her memory it was about two dogs eating pasta at an Italian restaurant.

After some moments of awkward silence the two of them had finally been able to talk to each other. They had some stimulating discussions about religion and even Booth seemed to be comfortable with it after Brennan decided not to talk about the anthropological meaning of sex or sex in general for the sake of the evening. All in all, it was one of the best dates she had had in her entire life. Not that she had ever doubt this fact.

"Booth, I didn't know you'd come with a lady this evening!" a big man that resembled the perfect image of an Italian cook came to their table to bring their food to them.

"Hello Giovanni, this is Dr Temperance Brennan. Bones this is Giovanni the owner of this restaurant" he acquainted them.

"Ah, the Bone lady!" he bent down to kiss the back of her hand. "You have to be something special, Bella, because he never brought a lady here - only this little bambini of him." Brennan had to smile when Booth was suddenly pretty interested in the structure of the floor.

"Oh, I hope I'm something special to him because he won't find someone that helps him solving all the cases that easily." she said still smiling, deliberately pretending that she didn't understand what the cook meant. Giovanni smiled and winked at her serving their food to leave them alone again.

Temperance felt flattered. Booth actually brought her somewhere where he 'd never brought a woman before. She probably really meant something to him.

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At about eleven they had left the restaurant and decided to go for a little walk. The night was warm and a pleasant wind surrounded them. Booth told her about something Parker had said when he had been to the lab for the first time and she had to laugh out loud at the questions Parker had asked him.

"Parker would be a good squint, you know." she said while sitting down on a bench.

"No, he definitely wants to be an FBI agent like his father." Booth answered laughing as well and took a seat next to her. "Do you want to take a break?"

"Just for a moment. These shoes are killing me." she pointed at her heels. "I don't know how some women can walk in these all the time. It's not that good for their back, but some people just do everything to look better. It's sometimes so barbaric to see what they do to their own bodies, the result of their genetics…" Booth just had to smile at her rambling. She was so cute when she was in her business.

"What is it? Are you laughing at me?"

"No, I just thought that you're really beautiful tonight."

Now, she had to beam a him. "You already told me twice tonight."

"I know, but I can't tell you often enough" he stood up and offered her his hand to help her up. "C'mon, take your heels off and we can go on."

"Hmm, I think…" she began and took his hand. She had to stop talking for a moment. She felt as though a lightning had just passed her body. She was shaking inside and her heart beat far too often for her understanding. She had forgotten what she had just been saying before she stood up and was lost in his dark eyes for now.

Both of them weren't able to break their touch, the invisible line between their eyes and the vibes that were spreading. Brennan's heart seemed to break all of her rips with its hard beating. The world around them didn't exist anymore. There was only this strong feeling of belonging together. Her body warmed up from this content feeling in her heart and she only wished this moment would be endless.

Booth raised his free hand to her face and stroke her soft cheek as well as the lining of her jaw with his thump so that she almost melted away with knees out of jelly. She was just unable to move in her attraction.

The next thing she could remember was finding his lips on hers. Their lips met in this wonderful, sweet, innocent kiss and it felt like the first time someone kissed her like this. She held her arms around her neck to be near him and after what seemed like an eternity both parted still feeling the electricity they were surrounded by. Usually, she had told herself that it was just a chemical reaction and hormones, but something changed inside her that moment.

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**A/N:**_ Thanks for reading so far. Actually, I don't like this chapter that much, but I hope you enjoyed it at least to a little extent. Please leave a review so I can improve and moreover so that I feel the urge to continue soon. If you like the story it's just favorable for you if you leave a comment._


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Booth woke up the next morning with a feeling of great satisfaction. First he didn't want to wake up in fear that all was just a dream, but now he knew that the most wonderful evening of his life had been real.

He stood up and thought of the last night. After their kiss they had been walking next to each other, holding hands and she, _his_ Temperance, had shown her most amazing smile. One that he hadn't ever seen on her face before and he regretted every missed opportunity. How could he have ever lived without this smile?

Late in the night, he could also say early in the morning, he had just taken her home. The Gentleman he was, he had left her alone at her door and had kissed her goodnight.

It wasn't as though he hadn't thought of sex, but he didn't want them to end up as friends with benefits. He wanted to go on slowly so that both of them could decide whether they really want to do so, furthermore, he wanted to be sure that everything was right.

But in fact, he didn't need to decide anything. God, he was madly in love with this woman! After yesterday more than ever before. Just the thought of her made him drift into another world, he could name Bones' world. This body, this smile, this voice, this intelligence, this character and, oh, this skin, this soft skin. Every touch of her sent goose bumps through his entire body. And now, only the thought of them made him believe he might faint due to this bunch of emotions, due to the electricity that crossed his body.

He had just made a commitment to himself, hadn't he? That was pretty early for him, but he couldn't deny it: He loved Dr Temperance Brennan with all his senses.

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Brennan had been to the lab pretty early as usual, although, despite the fact that she hadn't been able to sleep well due to the different sensations that had run through her body and still ran. But she didn't feel tired at all. She was so happy and so content with her life at moment that not even the fact that she had a dead young mother in front of her could depress her. Though her bad conscience seemed to mind, at least a little.

She was just working on the marks of the victim's ulna and radius when Booth entered the lab, unnoticed of her.

"Zack, could you please take a look at these marks?" she asked her former assistant. "What do you think?"

"The marks are only superficial. They are added with a thin and -at the bottom- round object. The material of it is yield. I'd say wooden." Zack finished his observation.

"I think so. Let's ask Hodgins whether he did find some particles of wood and run possible scenarios through the Angelator." she said more to herself than to Zack when Zack noticed Booth who had been standing behind them all the time.

"Good morning, Agent Booth" he greeted the FBI agent.

"Why didn't you say anything, Booth?" Temperance asked disappointed and felt her entire body vibrate just because of his sight. She hoped the other ones weren't able to see it and tried to act as usual.

"I thought you don't like being interrupted in your examination, Bones?" using his charm smile, he noticed that she didn't really look him in the eyes while talking.

"Hmm… no… yes." Try to remain calm. Just think of your work, Temperance! "But now, you know our latest results and you can go visit Angela in her office with me. Just the thought of them walking to Angela's office, alone, brought the heat back she wanted to hide so desperately. That would definitely be a long day!

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Five minutes later they were standing in front of the Angelator watching possible scenarios.

"The marks suggest that they were pressed into the bones from above the victims head." Brennan explained. "That's the gap in our examination. The attacker must have had a huge amount of power that way, but the marks are just superficial."

"Except she got the marks when she already was in the water. The attacker pushed her into the water probably from a boat. She wanted to save herself and hold onto the boat with her hands." Angela made a suggestion while they watched Jennifer Grant pushed from a little boat and how she tried to save herself in taking hold of the railing.

"That's possible. She couldn't swim with her broken legs hence it was her only chance to save herself from drowning. Moreover, this would explain the position of the marks at the side of the bones. Plus, water is not as resistant as for example sand. It would have cost him a large amount of power to press the marks into the bone." Temperance mentioned.

"When she hold onto the boat he grabbed a paddle…" Angela went on.

Brennan interrupted he friend "No paddle. The mark was too small for a paddle."

"… he grabbed an unknown object and pressed it onto the arm so that she had to stop saving herself and went down. She wasn't able to move her arms for some time and drowned."

"That's horrible" Booth was in pain watching the scenario and so was Brennan.

"Yeah, but at least we know how she spent her last minutes" she said and looked at Booth. Mistake. She lost herself in his friendly face, his warm eyes and his soft lips, thinking of last night.

"But still, we don't have a subject. We don't have one single lead yet." Booth told them and his heart seemed to stop beating when he felt her gaze on him.

"Hmm…" she nodded still lost.

Angela smiled. Her best friend seemed like a teenage girl admiring the famous football team leader. The emotional and sexual tension between the partners was so sick that she could cut it with a knife. Angela had only have a short talk with her friend this morning before Zack arrived, but she could tell her friend was falling in love.

"Bren, can I talk to you for a moment… alone?" Angela brought her best friend back to the present.

"What did you just say, Ange?" The artist had to smile even wider. What had Booth done to her friend last night?

"I wanted to talk to you!"

"Yeah, sure."

"I have to meet Cullen, anyway." Booth winked at Angela and left them with a "See you later"

When Booth was gone Angela started instantly. She had waited for this conversation t come since she had seen Booth and Brennan together for the first time.

"Tell him!" she said.

"What?" Brennan still didn't know what this was about.

"That you love him."

Brennan's face froze just for a second. "Love doesn't exist, Ange. Love are just hormnes within a chemical reaction…"

"C'mon, Bren. You know it. You two are just like Demi and Ashton."

"I don't know what that means."

"I should have known…" Angela rolled her eyes. "You two are meant for each other. Tell him what you feel when you are with him."

Temperance took a deep breath. "I can't" she almost whispered.

"It's too much… I don't know me like that. You know, me being the all rational _Bones…_ And suddenly, after only one evening with him, I feel all mushy. I can't think straight anymore. I feel like I can't think at all. He's just there controlling my mind and I can't do anything against it. This all is so weird. I just don't feel like myself anymore. What when he doesn't feel the same?"

Angela could tell her friend was desperate. "Sweetie, that all just shows that you are like every other person in this universe."

"Did you feel the same with Hodgins?" Brennan looked like a child for a moment. All her knowledge hadn't been able to show her what love is and all her intelligence couldn't help her to lose the simple fear of rejection.

"God, I was all sappy and it was even worse when the gravedigger got you and Jack. I feared I could never tell him how I feel." Angela sighed at the horrible thought.

"But I haven't felt that way with Sully…"

"That is why you couldn't go with him. Booth has been in your heart all the time. You just needed some time to notice it."

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_**A/N: **Another chapter finished. The longest so far. I'm sorry for adding a case. I just can't speak the squints' language. But you have to live with it because the case is necessary to understand the later events. Thanks for reading and an extra thanks to my faithful readers and reviewers. Please leave a comment. Reviews are my oxygen…_


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Temperance Brennan wasn't able to concentrate on her work. Every few seconds she looked at the door of the Jeffersonian longing and at the same time fearing that _he_ came in. After her conversation with Angela she couldn't help herself anymore. He was on her mind and she couldn't get him out. She wasn't able to take a step back and be just the brain-person she used to be.

She had told Angela of her feelings, feelings that she hadn't even admitted to herself yet. Now, she was totally aware of them and she couldn't get rid of them. She didn't know what to do. She, Dr Temperance Brennan, who always was in control of herself, was totally clueless and more than this: She was helpless. She was standing there being fifteen all over again. With the difference that this time she was feeling extraordinary fine.

She shot another glare at the door and finally watch it open, finally Booth was standing there.

God, Brennan. What do you do here?

Suddenly, the ever calm Temperance Brennan was nervous. Completely gone with the wind. Everything inside of her prickled somehow. She felt the big urge to do something. Just run around and do something.

Why hadn't she been gone by now? It would be a lot of easier. But still she had to listen to Angela. Damn it!

She watched her hands who couldn't remain still and she could tell Booth was coming closer and closer. Do something Brennan!

All of a sudden, she left the platform of the lab very quickly and almost ran cross Booth to head to her office. "Booth, I need to talk to you. In my office… now!"

Gosh, she had thought this would be easier!

Booth had instantly turned to follow his very stir partner. When he arrived in his office she closed the door. "That took you a lot of time" she could tell she was definitely nuts by now.

"I was just two seconds behind you!" he told her reproaching.

"Not now. For coming back." her nerves weren't very strong at the moment. From now to the next moment she was walking back and forth in her office talking to herself. "Oh God… Oh God… what shall I do?… I don't know… What have I done to myself?… I'm not who I used to be anymore… Good God…"

Booth watched his partner for a moment. He wasn't really sure what she was doing there in front of him. "Bones, is everything alright? You know, for someone who doesn't believe in God you mentioned his name pretty often in the last minute." he smiled at her. This I-make-you-believe-that-there's-nothing-bad-in-this-world-smile, this smile that had brought her into this goddamn situation.

"No, nothing is okay… you… you" she tried to accuse him, but couldn't find the right words.

"What have I done?" he remained totally calm.

"You have done this to me. I'm going crazy, you see." she pointed at herself and had a furious look on her face.

"That's a very harsh accusation, Bones!" he was still so calm and she almost lost herself in his eyes again. No, she had to take care that she didn't lose the rest of her mind.

"I've been waiting for you all day long." she was still distressed.

Booth came closer and rested his hands on her shoulder. He noticed that she calmed down instantly. "Why?" he asked slightly puzzled. "Bones, why have you been waiting for me all day?" He hoped he knew what she was about to say, but he wanted to hear it.

"Because you've done this to me" he could sense tears in her eyes. "You've made me all nuts. All I can think about is you, Booth! I still can feel your skin on every piece of me you've touched, yesterday. I can hear your voice in my head, can still feel the touch of your lips…" a single tear made his way out of her eyes and he wanted to touch her face to rub it away but she didn't want him too. "I can hear your breath even when you're absent. Just the thought of you makes me all soft and these butterflies in my stomach awake to fly. My heart hurts because every thought of you takes my pulse up to rise like it isn't supposed to do. I can hear it beating against my ribs when you're around and even when you're not with me this emotion is still there. I feel like I'm flying just because I know you've kissed me. I'm flying, Booth. With all my senses. I'm feeling most ecstatic even though nothing great has happened. I can't sleep because I still feel the sensation of you even though I haven't seen you in hours. I feel like laughing and crying at the same time. You make me believe there's a future, there's something good in this world. You even make me believe in heaven" At this time tears were running down her cheeks, but he knew he wasn't allowed to break in, he had to let her talk. "But most of all, you've taken my rational part away. My rational part is all I have, all I can rely on, but since yesterday night I cannot control it anymore. It has gone. My brain is all mushy. It's useless because of you. I can't use my brain, but what shall I use else? I'm a brain-person, Booth! I'm all over the rational part of me. I can't rely on intuition and on my guts like you can do. I'm helpless without my rationality. Can you please give me my rational side back, Booth?" her big blue-green eyes looked at him tears still running down her cheek.

Now, Booth raised his hands to her cheeks and rubbed the tears away with his thumps. He hold her face and let him not look away from his eyes. "I can't, Temperance! I cannot give your strength back to you"

"Why?" she was calmer now, washed by her own emotions, and somewhat numb.

"Cause it's not in my power." he said smiling at her.

"Do you know what's worst?" she asked him, but not really expecting him to know the answer.

"What?" he still smiled at her and now she let this affect to her again and began to smile while talking either.

"I don't really want it back. There's only thing that I truly want: All I want is you, Booth!"

Booth watched her. She looked so beautiful. The tears still shining in her sapphire eyes and at the same time they glowed as a reason of the most wonderful smile. It remembered him of a rainbow between rain and summer sun. And then, after a second in which he just admired her beauty, he finally kissed her. He kissed her in a seemingly endless, loving kiss and hold her to her tight to himself. The happiness that was in him spreading her body and all the sensations she had described ran through her.

An eternity later, they parted, but remained in each others arms. "I hoped so much that you'd feel the same way. I'm flying like a bird for such a long time, now, Temperance. I feel like home when I'm with you. You are the most important person in my life - next to Parker, of course. I feared that I might lose you after all. Especially after yesterday, but yesterday has turned out to be the best decision I've ever made."

---

**A/N: **_This is supposed to be the halftime chapter. It's rather short in comparison to the other ones at least in action, but I didn't want to put more in it. Brennan acts a little OC, but I wanted to show that she isn't able to jump into a relationship with him and that this really is something new to her that she can't do that easily. Actually, I think this one is pretty good. If you don't got the feelings, reread the last part with one of the next songs. I listened to them while writing so it probably might help: A Light On The Hill by Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, You are loved by Josh Groban or You by Fisher._

_Thanks for reading and please leave a comment._


	6. Chapter Five

-1**Chapter Five**

Booth woke up feeling her breath against his chest. He was finally sharing his bed with her thinking of the last night and how it has changed for good. He knew he had insisted to go on slowly because he didn't want to push it, but after last evening he was aware that he had done everything right.

When she had told him what she felt his heart had to make a break. In this instance he had known that everything was going to be fine between them. He just felt that they were made for each other and that he wanted to share his whole life with her. He knew that some people might say that this sounds foolish, but he had known in this moment that she was the right one. She was the one he would love his entire life.

Booth stroke her neck thinking of how they had gotten there. But he had to admit to himself that he couldn't remind himself of it in detail. It was as though he had been dreaming the most amazing dream and he couldn't tell what he had been fantasizing the night when he woke up the next morning. He was just reminiscent of he a few scenes of the last night. She had been hungry and he had offered to cook something for her because he hadn't cooked for yet. Then they had been eating and he hadn't been able to consume much due to her sitting in front of him with the most astonishing glimmer in her eyes. And somehow they landed in his bed and had slept with each other. He feeling her soft, satin skin and hearing her breath like he did now. He had been awake a long time after she had been sleeping only to hear her breathing and to take everything of her in. Absorbing the emotions never forgetting them again.

And now he was awake once more after about three hours of sleep, but feeling content and conscious like he had never been before. His one hand moving through her hair and the other one gently rubbing her back. And still not able to believe that this all was really happening.

---

A few hours later Booth had taken Temperance to the Jeffersonian. "You didn't need to do this, Seeley." she said when the headed to her office.

"Listen, Bones. Don't call me Seeley. I'm more used to Booth and I like this name."

"That hasn't ever stopped you of calling me Bones." she laughed and kissed him on his cheek.

"Anyway, I wanted to take you here. I won't ever miss a chance to get more time with you."

"Thanks. I wouldn't have found a better way to get here." They arrived at her office and she stopped walking as soon as she reached the doorway. There he grabbed her hand and kissed her passionately. His dreams really had come true. This woman was more than he could ever have hoped for. When they parted Booth placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Don't forget me while I'm gone."

"I never will." she whispered and he went around to leave.

"Booth…" Temperance called when he had walked a few steps. He turned to face her again. Her face full of live and happiness. "What is it, Darling?"

"Thanks for asking me out." Booth grinned and went to meet Cullen.

---

When he came back his smile had gone. His eyes full of concern, he found her in her office finishing her report about Jennifer Grant.

"Bad news, Tempe." he told her while taking a seat on her couch. "Cullen wants us to drop the case."

"Still no leads?" she left the desk to sit down next to him and watched him shaking his head.

"The only suspects have alibis. The husband was paying the nanny at the time she was murdered and the sister who was supposed to have dinner with Jennifer have been at the restaurant. "And of course, no-one has seen her at the river that night. Plus, there haven't been any unusual calls or emails."

"Damn it. I hate to have a cold one. But we haven't found anything new either." Temperance moved her arms to his neck and hugged him. Both enjoying the embrace of each other.

"Can't we just move on with the investigation?" she asked him after a few minutes.

"How? That's the problem. We don't know where to start. The alibis are confirmed - we don't have a single suspect."

Booth left the sofa again "C'mon, let's go to Wong Foo's. I'm already starving." He took her hand and left her no chance not to go.

---

**A/N: **_I know this one is poor. I wasn't really in mood to write the last days. Had some problems at home… However, the next one will be better and I try to write more often the next days._


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N:**_ Some of you must've forgotten to read Chapter 3. This has been read by less people than Chapter 4 and 5. A huge thanks to all who reviewed and who will review, especially to Angel6 who reviewed every chapter. Please tell me what you think of it. Reviews make me work faster._

_---_

**Chapter Six**

"Booth? Are you awake?" Temperance was lying in Seeley Booth's arms and watched him suspiciously. She knew he was tired. The last week had been a lot to cope with for him. He couldn't sleep anymore after Cullen had told them that they had to stop the ongoing investigation of Jennifer Grant's homicide. He wasn't able to forget the way her family had looked at him when he had told them. Temperance was glad that she was all about Bones. She was able to put her heart in a box and to some extent she was able to forget that this has been a person for the time working on the dead body. But he had to see the person behind all those bones and he had to deal with the fact that this woman was more than just the physical being. Of course, she was not all made of stone, but still it was harder to him. She was allowed to be objective if he was objective it would disrupt the investigation.

"hmm, Honey. You know I can't sleep with the most astonishing woman lying next to me" She smiled at him. He was such a charmer some times, but still, it suited him well.

"I'm sorry that I'm the reason for the dark circles here." she followed the circles with her thumbs. He grinned back at her. These scenes before they had to leave the bed were still the best to him. When they just lay there cuddling and loving each other. Fortunately, today was a Sunday and it was only seven o'clock. Today, he could forget about work and just be the man he wanted to be for her.

"Tempe, I'm glad to be allowed to sacrifice my sleep for you." he smiled. All this was just so perfect. He felt like flying when he only thought that he had gotten the chance to call this dream of a woman his girlfriend. No, girlfriend wasn't the best description. She was his soul mate. When she touched him, like she did now… when she just lay there and stroked his cheeks and, god, when she smiled like this… he just melt away. He forgot that they weren't the only people on earth. It was like lying next to an angel. A creature god just sent for him.

Unexpectedly, Temperance bent down to kiss him the most soft kiss he had ever experienced.

"What was that for?" he asked and smiled back at her. The first sun-rays shined through the curtain and seemed like a spotlight only for her. He could only make out the half of her face because the sun came from her behind that she looked like she had a nimbus.

"Just because you are you." she answered almost shy. "And…" He waited a moment, but she hesitated to go on.

"And what?" he combed her hair with one hand.

She looked deep in his eyes as though she tried to find the answer whether to go on or not there. "and because I think I'm falling in love with you, Seeley."

She had just told him what he never thought he would hear from her so early. Never dreamt to hear from her. It didn't even bother him that she called him Seeley. His heart felt even warmer now. He was loved. Somebody seemed to mean it very well with him.

He noticed that she watched him looking pretty uncomfortable. He knew that she waited for any kind of reaction.

"Temperance…" he began, but something kept him from going on. He couldn't tell her the words she wanted to hear from him. He just couldn't and he didn't know why. He felt more for her than he had ever felt for anyone else. And he had told it before without emotions that were that strong. He knew he loved her that much that it hurt. He would without any doubt die for her. He was already seeing them decorating the Christmas tree. He painted his future with her on his mind. Why couldn't he tell her what he felt? It was so odd. And he could tell that he distressed her emotionally and that was the last thing he wanted, but he couldn't tell her that he loved her.

"Temperance, honey…" he wanted at least explain it to her. Something that he couldn't even explain to himself when he was startled by the ringing of his cell phone. He groaned in agony and answered the phone.

"Booth?" he answered to hear the voice of his boss.

Five minutes later, he finished the call. "Honey, that was Cullen. I've to go to a meeting…"

"On a Sunday?" he was taken aback at how low her voice was.

"I'm sorry, darling. Shall I drop you by the lab?"

She nodded and left the bed to dress.

---

Half an hour later, she was in her office. Booth would pick her up again when he was finished and he had promised to spend the rest of the day with her then, but she wasn't really sure whether she could look him in the eye again.

When she had told him that she was falling in love with him and he begun to explain something to her… his voice had been so hard. As though he wanted to tell her that he didn't love her, that this was only fun for him. Had she been so foolish?

"Brennan? I thought you would spent the day with Booth?" her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of her best friend who was standing in the door of her office.

"He had an FBI meeting… and you know that I could ask you the same…" she said trying to avoid eye-contact.

"You know Jack, don't you? He couldn't live without this… thing, you know?" Angela began and suddenly noticed her eyes were shiny.

"Hey Sweetie, what's going on?" Angela asked while walking to her side.

"I told him that I am falling in love with him." she explained.

"That's a good thing isn't it?"

"I've never told anyone before, Ange. I thought he would feel the same."

"Doesn't he?"

"No."


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Angela took her friend to the couch and both of them sat down.

"Has he said that he doesn't love you, Sweetie?"

"No" her voice was the one of a little girl that didn't get the doll she wanted.

"So, what makes you think that he doesn't love you?" Angela took her role of the experienced best friend.

"When I told him, he wouldn't say anything." She nervously played with her hands.

"But sweetie…" Angela began but had to stop when Brennan finally looked up and their eyes met. Brennan's usually intense blue eyes were so light as though she had lost something. Her strong being seemed to have cracks.

"He had enough time, Ange, but he was just silent. He only ignored what I've been saying when Cullen called." her voice was soft, but more determined now.

The artist wanted to say something when her best friend opened her mouth again.

"I thought he'd love me. He was the one asking me out, you know. I thought I wouldn't be one of those women for him…"

Angela smiled. "You know that you just said you don't want to be the woman for him you always have been for other guys."

Realizing this Brennan smirked for a moment. "I haven't even believed in love before. I thought you'd be crazy because you said you loved Hodgins…"

"Hey!" Angela pretended to be hurt and slapped her shoulder playfully.

"Love hasn't any connection to science. It doesn't exist. Only hormones. At least this is what I thought. But now I know that it does exist… against all odds. I love him, Ange. I fear that I feel too much for him. What if he merely wants us to have this little affair… How do you call it again?"

"Friends with benefits?" Brennan nodded.

"Sweetie, I don't think Booth wants it like this. He hadn't set this date with you a few weeks ago if he only wanted sex." Angela looked Brennan straight in the eyes.

"But what if? I don't think I can work with him again if he sees us as no more than this"

"Brenn, I've seen the way he looks at you. There are sparkles between you. His eyes begin to shine every time he sees you. I've seen it before he has finally found the courage to ask you out. And I believe even Cam did. That's why it didn't work between them. You have always been on his mind."

Angela could see that Brennan had calmed down a little.

"Just talk to him tonight, Sweetie." she looked up to the door which Jack just passed.

"I'm ready, Ange. Shall we go home now?" he asked while kissing his wife on the cheek. Angela's face brightened.

"Yeah, Jack… I think we can leave." She faced Brennan with a questioning look in her eyes.

"It's okay, Angela" the anthropologist stated matter-of-factly and the couple turned to the door to leave the office. "But thanks, Ange!" she said when they had reached the office-door.

"You're welcome!" Angela smiled at her best friend.

"Have a nice Sunday, Dr Brennan" Hodgins arm was around Angela's waist and both of them seemed just happy. Temperance felt the urge to have this as well and was surprised by her own feelings.

Please let it be like this!

"You too."

---

"And what did Cullen say?" Brennan was the first one to break the silence. They had been at home for an hour already and none of them had really talked to the other one. Now, they sat on the couch in Booth apartment watching TV. He had given her the ride home on which beginning she only got a little kiss on the cheek. When they got home they had eaten some mac and cheese, but they still didn't talk. And now they were sitting on this couch. Each one on one edge. The farthest away from each other and she couldn't stand it anymore. She hurt.

"Oh, it was okay." Booth replied deep in thought.

"Why did he call?" this time she asked with a little more pressure.

"Nothing. It was nothing significant" he still wasn't really with her.

"Cullen called you on a Sunday for a meeting that took the entire day - the entire day we wanted to spend together… and it was not more than a meeting?" she felt anger overwhelm her.

"We only arrested Brent Grant for the murder of his wife…"

The anger grew and she felt it harder and harder not to yell at him. "And this is nothing of significance? It's also my case, Booth!"

"If you want to hear it: There was a threat on you!" he paused and looked into her eyes for the first time this evening. Her eyes were full of rage and something beyond he couldn't really read yet.

"They located the call and found out it was Brent. After a while interrogating he finally admitted that he had killed her." she still didn't react on this news and just watched him with her eyes that sparkled from anger. He couldn't deny that she was beautiful being angry.

"I spend all day working, Bones. I didn't want to talk about it when I'm at home." he tried his charm smile on her, but could tell it wouldn't be working this time.

"Or is it that you just don't want to talk about it to me?" her hands shook due to her agitation.

"What do you mean, Honey?" he was a lot calmer now than he had been in his answer before.

"I just thought that maybe I was right after all… I think it's better I'm taking a cab home." Her voice was a mixture of fury and defeat. She stood up and wanted to kiss him on the cheek, but it decided it was better not to. It would be easier after all if she stopped it right now.

He watched her grabbing her jacket and purse with irritation. Just when she wanted to open the door he was finally able to say something. Something was terribly wrong here, it almost felt as though she wanted to break up.

"Stop, Temperance, please stay." he was almost pleading.

She didn't open the door and turned to watch him. "What?"

Booth heard that she tried to hide her sadness with anger. "Right? Regarding what?"

"That I'm only one of these women for you." she paused for a little moment and went on with a much weaker voice. "It's not only sex for me. I couldn't take it that way, Seeley." she opened the door. She only wanted to run. She had told him too much already. They would never be able to work again if this all went on the way it did at the moment.

She hadn't noticed Booth leaving the couch and was shocked when he closed the door before she could leave.

"Let me go, please" begging.

Booth heart broke when he saw the sadness in her eyes. He wanted to let her go, to read all her wishes from her lips and make her dreams come true, but he needed answers and even more he needed her to listen.

"What makes you think that I only want an affair?"

"Oh, it's not that difficult." Booth was taken aback by her sarcasm. He knew what she meant, but he hadn't thought that it was affecting her that much. He had thought about it the entire evening, but he hadn't found the right way to explain.

"That…" he started, but was interrupted by her sarcasm again.

"Yeah that!" it was weird. He didn't know her that way and hearing her like that hurt a lot.

"I don't know why I couldn't answer…"

"Probably because you don't love me. I have told Angela, but…" she tried to open the door again, but he shoved himself between her and the door.

"I want to leave, Booth!"

"Damn it, Bones!" he yelled, but regretted it instantly seeing her face full of pain. He put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Sorry, I just need you to listen, Temperance." he started and watched her intensively. "I know what I am feeling for you and this is much more that I have felt for any other woman my entire life. I just can't say it and I hate me for doing this to you. You're the most important person for me. When we met I knew that there was something special about you. I watched the way you worked, you sacrifice yourself to find the truth… Since then I knew that you are the right one, the only one…"

"But I always thought you didn't like me in the beginning?"

He smiled and stroke her cheek. "That's the way it works! Honey, I want the house with the white picket fence, a family for us. I want to spend my entire life with you. There's nothing in this world that makes me more happy than you… than knowing that you are at the lab waiting for me to interrupt your work, than knowing that I'll spend the evening with you." a small tear left the corner of her eye, but she smiled. He brushed the tear away with his thumb. "When Cullen told me that there was a threat on you I wanted to kill this guy. They didn't let me interrogate him because I was too angry. Temperance, you mean the world to me, but I can't say it yet… Please, will you wait for me?"

She nodded and smiled through her tears. "Of course"

He placed a soft kiss one her lips. "And will you please stay with me, now? I don't think that I'll be able to take it when I wake up without you lying in my arms."

"Me neither, Booth!" she kissed him again and let herself enjoy his embrace. For this moment both of them thought that there would be no-one in this world who was luckier than them.

**A/N:** _Sorry for the delay. But I hope this chapter makes up for it. I'm having some kind of writer's block and I fear writing every new chapter because we are heading towards the end, now. Nevertheless, I'll try to write more often.  
__And for all who don't want to read more because you know what happened in the end: They have experienced true love and she has been happy in her last days so there are at least the happy memories for them.  
__Please leave a review!_


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

"Bones, c'mon, we've a case!" Booth claimed while walking into her office. He'd watched her working for a moment, but decided that he could still watch her later. It was time to work. And he feared that they'd split them if they didn't work the way they did before they ended up together.

Temperance stopped staring at her desktop and smiled at Booth. She stretched her arms and had to suppress a yawn. She had been trying to work on a chapter of her new book, but had a worse writer's block.

"Right. I need to leave this desk anyway" she stood up whereas Booth grabbed her coat to help her in.

"Booth, I still have the ability to…" she began and tried to snatch the coat.

"C'mon Bones. Just once in your life let me help you" Finally, she gave up with a sigh.

"But I only let you use your alpha male tendencies because you're such a good kisser." she explained playfully before she turned to place a soft peck on his lips.

"Honey, you have your heart at the right place." he took her hand and pulled her behind himself.

"Actually, the heart is on the left, Booth. I thought you'd have known this." she clarified full scientific mode, but slightly bothered that he interrupted their romantic moment.

"Bones, right as the opposite of wrong not as the opposite of left."

"But I know that my heart is on the right place - it's on the left!" Her eyes showed the I-don't-know-what that-means confusion.

"It's a metaphor." he told her while he both of the took their seats in his black SUV.

"And what does it mean?" she turned around to see him answer while he pulled off the parking lot.

"It means that you have a good heart…" he paused as he noticed she was still clueless and chuckled.

"What?" she raised one ear brow.

"You know that I love you, Temperance?" he said.

She beamed with surprise. "Really?"

Her surprise made him realize what he had just said. "Yes, I love you, Bones."

If it wasn't his Bones sitting next to him he could have sworn that he had just heard a little squeal.

"I love you too, Seeley." she moved on her seat and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

"So, what is this case about?" she asked after a moment and switched back to professional mode.

"I don't know that much. A fisher found a necklace in the bay. When he looked further it seemed like there was a body as well. They want you to identify it as human."

---

"This is definitely human. Woman in her late twenties or early thirties." Brennan looked up from the body she was just examining.

"Cause of death?" Booth asked while taking notes.

"Can't answer that before the body is in the lab and we can examine it better. But considering the current evidence I'd say drowning."

"Time of death?"

"Booth, you know that I can't know it yet. I won't make an assumption." she placed her hands on her hips when standing up and lifted her head.

"You have watched at this body for half an hour yet. And I know, you have already made assumptions in the first second." his finger pointed at her.

"Booth, I don't guess!"

"Oh, you do!" he crossed his arms in front of his body. "Everyone makes assumptions based on experience - even you!"

"I try to ignore them to see the facts, Booth."

"Just try to make an assumption based on your experience with facts, Bones!"

She sighed. "Listen, I'll only do this once. So don't get used to it! Considering the state of the tissue and the population of insects I'd say two months." A triumphant smile plastered Booth face. "And stop smiling like that!"

Her last sentence caused an even brighter smile. "Thanks, sunshine."

"Don't 'Sunshine' me!" she said with a voice that didn't match her nickname at all.

---

Brennan was annoyed. They were back at the lab for two hours now. Hodgins took a look at the bugs. Zack examined the tissue and Angela tried to identify their victim. Two hours and Booth still had this triumphant smile all over his face. The one that plastered it since he had forced her to throw her principles away. And now he was hovering around and kept her from working with concentration.

But not only this, his scent was all around and helped her mind to wander around.

"Would you please stop this?" she whispered harshly.

"Stop what?"

She just wanted to open her mouth to answer when Angela came into the lab.

"Got a match!" Angela stated and Booth finally let go.

"And?" he said while heading to where Angela stand.

"This is Hannah Cook, l28 and a lawyer. Her boyfriend reported her missing nine weeks ago. She was on the way home after court, but never got there."

"And she was probably killed by the hands of the same murder Jennifer Grant was killed by." Booth and Angela turned to focus on Brennan.

"There are the same marks on the bones. The only difference is that the marks are placed on the vertebrae - not radius and ulna."

Booth took his cell and called someone in the FBI. "Booth here… Kevin would you please try to find out whether Brent Grant knew a Hannah Cook… yes… bye"

At the same time Temperance's mobile rang. She looked at the display only to see that she was called by an unknown number.

"Brennan" suspiciously she answered the phone.

---

**A/N: **_I'm sorry that this one is so short, but I had to cut it at some point otherwise my chapter concept wouldn't work._


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